An Air of Repression

Oswego should be proud of the college community it has cultivated. Especially with the egregious violations of academic freedom in our country. ICE tried multiple times to arrest 21-year-old Columbia student Yunseo Chung. A federal judge stopped the Trump administration from deporting Yunseo, a lawful permanent U.S. resident. There was no due process for her or Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil. The White House tweeted “Shalom, Mahmoud,” when ICE detained Khalil. The White House wrote “Shalom, Columbia,” when $400 million in federal grants was withheld from the university. The Economist called it the “Don Corleone approach.” You either do what we say, or you lose $400 million. Columbia capitulated and paid its tithes to the Godfather in Washington. The US government suppressed free speech for students as it fully supported Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza.
On March 18th, the New York Times reported, “Israeli forces launched extensive aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip.” The airstrikes “began at 2:10 a.m.” The Israeli reporter Yaniv Kubovich wrote, “The Israel Defense Forces has been striking Hamas civil infrastructure, including government and municipal targets.” Another Haaretz article reported, “the IDF and the Shin Bet focused this time on civilian and political targets.” Haaretz continued, “the munitions hit tent camps of displaced persons… Whole families were wiped out.” The United Nations Children’s Fund called the 2 a.m. airstrike “the largest single-day child death toll in the last year.” Save the Children said, “This latest slaughter was on starved, besieged, defenceless families.” Save the Children continued, “Gaza’s 1.1 million children will once again face a hellscape of bombs, bullets, starvation, and disease.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund stated that over one million children in Gaza needed mental health support. UN Women recorded, “From 18 to 25 March—in just those 8 days, 830 people have been killed—174 women, 322 children, with 1,787 more injured… these are not just numbers, they are people.” UN Women called the US-backed Israeli bombardment “a war on women—on their dignity, their bodies, their very survival.” The World Health Organization said 50,000 women in Gaza are pregnant and 5,500 women are due to give birth within the next month.
In addition to the bombardment is a blockade of the entire Gaza Strip. Oxfam reported, “Since 2 March, Israeli authorities have re-imposed a total siege (on Gaza). It is banning the entry of any humanitarian basic supplies, including water, food, medical supplies and fuel.” Doctors Without Borders said it was an “inhumane siege on Gaza.” The restriction of fuel made 96% of Gaza’s water undrinkable. Therefore, “the risk of Famine between November 2024 and April 2025 persists.” The UN Nutrition Cluster estimated that over 60,000 children need treatment for acute malnutrition. Yet, US military aid to Israel continues. Of the over 100,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza, the Times of Israel admits US taxpayers provided 76,000 tons. You have to weep for this country. You have to weep for what this country does daily to the children of Gaza.

Anton Porcari

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